


The Daughters, healing from childhood trauma

by poisonedapple



Series: Bardic Inspiration [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 11:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11782296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonedapple/pseuds/poisonedapple
Summary: anonymous asked:  “Are you drunk?” kaylie and vex





	The Daughters, healing from childhood trauma

“Are you drunk?” Vex asks with a note of disgust when she slips into the bar seat next to Kaylie.

Kaylie looks up from a glass of ale, cheeks rosy and clearly drunk.  Vex hadn’t really been questioning it - she just wanted to hear Kaylie say it.  It’s not really that Vex is particularly judgmental about day drinkers in general - there is Grog after all, but it’s every interaction Vex has had with Kaylie and that’s a bit much.

“Fuck off.  Some girls are hoard all the gold their greedy little fingers can get hold of because of their fucked up dads,” Kaylie says, flicking her middle finger without looking at Scanlan across the room who had been watching them and likely eavesdropping.  Scanlan looks away sheepishly at Kaylie’s gesture.  “Some just drink.  We’ve all gotta deal some fuckin’ how.”

Vex scowls.  What had Scanlan been telling Kaylie, in that year away?  “I don’t hoard money because of my father.”

Kaylie snorts.

“I do it because I was homeless for most of my adolescence,” Vex snaps the confession - she’s not sure she’s ever admitted it out loud before.  She things even Percy - maybe even  _Vax_  - might still think she desires the gold to prove something to her father and the rest of the elves.  Kaylie stares hard at her for a while before shrugging and taking another gulp of ale.  “I didn’t know when I was going to eat next for over a decade, didn’t know if I was going to have somewhere warm to sleep night to night - most of the time I couldn’t afford it.  I saved what I could to  _survive.”_

“That’s why drink too, really.  Not the daddy issues at all.”  Kaylie admits after a moment.  “Never been homeless really, but rent was expensive for the rat hole we lived in.  Mom…”  But Kaylie stops there and doesn’t say anything more than that and drains the rest of her glass, gesturing even before finishing for the barkeep to fill her back up again.

Vex feels herself stop for a moment.  She really doesn’t know what Kaylie and her mother went through, after… whatever condition Scanlan left them in.

Vex sighs after a while.  “Fucked up self-esteem is all my father gave me.”

Kaylie glances at her without turning her head from her drink.  “Depression ‘s all that fucker gave me.”  Kaylie chuckles without humor, jerking her thumb back at Scanlan who didn’t seem to be eavesdropping anymore.  The barkeep comes to give Kaylie her refill. Very softly, probably unaware Vex could hear her, Kaylie says, “’Til recently at any rate.

“Get her one as well,” Kaylie tells the barkeep, louder.  At Vex’s inquisitive look, Kaylie rolls her eyes.  “On me, then.”

Vex smiles faintly.


End file.
